73 places in this collection
Top 10: our best of the bunch
Ranked by our own favourites first, then by how families rate them on Google.
- 1
Olympic Park StratfordParks & gardens · East · All agesFree★ 4.5 - 2
Walthamstow wetlandsParks & gardens · North · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 3
London Aquatic Centre - inflatablesPlaygrounds · East · All ages£5-£15★ 4 - 4
Holland ParkParks & gardens · West · Under 13Free★ 4.7 - 5
Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and St James’s ParkParks & gardens · Central · All agesFree★ 4.7 - 6
Sky GardenParks & gardens · Central · All agesFree★ 4.6 - 7
Diana Memorial PlaygroundPlaygrounds · West · Under 13Free★ 4.7 - 8
Golders Hill Park & Hill Garden PergolaParks & gardens · North · Under 13Free★ 4.7 - 9
Paddington Rec Adventure PlaygroundParks & gardens · West · Under 13Free★ 4.6 - 10
Parkland WalkParks & gardens · North · All agesFree★ 4.6
Everything on this list
Inflata Nation Colindale
This massive indoor arena gives kids the chance to enact their Gladiator dreams - it's packed wall-to-wall with connected inflatable activities. Race down giant 11-meter slides, tackle the obstacle ball course, jump onto tipping slides, and scramble up climbing walls. There's a dedicated, sealed-off area for under-4s so toddlers can bounce safely away from the energetic older kids. It's a nice workout for both kids and adults, or the on-site café balcony means parents can watch the action from above.
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Regent's Park
This sweeping Royal Park is packed with formal rose gardens, boating lakes, and excellent playgrounds. Our favourite itinerary is to start at the Marylebone Gate Entrance and hit the Gloucester Gate Playground first (featuring a v long zip wire, massive climbing frames, and inclusive water-play features). Then head south toward the Boating Lake to rent a pedal boat or rowing boat if you fancy, stop for coffee and sourdough pastries or ice cream at the Boating Lake Café, take a short detour across York Bridge Road to find the Community Wildlife Garden, featuring a peaceful pond, natural balance logs, and wild meadow planting, then finish up at the Hanover Gate Playground to conquer the huge wooden treehouse structure and giant sandpits.
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TeamSport GoKarting & Activities Brent Cross
Perched on the top floor of Brent Cross Red Car Park - glam, we know - this indoor entertainment venue features a 400m multi-level electric karting track that our kids love. There are adult and junior high-speed karts, plus a separate mini track for four-to-seven-year-olds. You can easily pair a race session with their on-site duckpin bowling, electronic games arcade, pool tables, and diner food. Or pop next door to Brent Cross for a shop and eat.
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Richmond Park & Isabella Plantation
London's largest Royal Park, famous for wild red and fallow deer, ancient woodland and the streams inside the Isabella Plantation. Plenty of pockets to explore, and easy to combine with Richmond town centre for food or shopping.
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Belmont Farm
A working farm tucked inside the M25 where kids can get up close to over thirty kinds of animals, including alpacas, sheep, goats, and wallabies. Jump on a tractor trailer ride to tour the fields, buy small bags of animal feed at the entrance to provide your own snack time, and stop at the farm café for a decent lunch. It is far less manic than the mega farm parks, making it ideal for a relaxed morning out with younger children.
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Lee Valley White Water Centre (Water Tubing)
This 2012 Olympic venue offers plenty of ways for the whole family to get wet, from family paddling sessions to water tubing and inflatable obstacle courses on the calmer lakes. There is a sandy beach play area and a terrace cafe beside the white-water course.
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St James's Park Pelican Feeding
Gorgeous royal park next to Buckingham Palace, famous for the resident flock of pelicans living on the lake. The walkable, scootable loop takes in lovely flower beds and plenty of royal sights.
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Go Ape Alexandra Palace
Finnegan's World Website: finnegansworld.co.uk Nearest Tube: West Ealing (Elizabeth Line) / Ealing Broadway (Central, District, Elizabeth Lines) Location: 41 Broadway, West Ealing, London (W13 9DD) Price: £8 per child, £1.50 per accompanying adult. Open weekends only (10am to 5pm). Blurb: Set inside a converted former bank on West Ealing Broadway, this lovely, independent soft play café is designed for babies, toddlers, and young children. The venue focuses on imaginative play with miniature shop setups, soft climbing ramps, and sensory toys - it’s far more than the usual blocks and slides. Parents can sit back with decent coffee and a slice of cake while keeping a direct line of sight on their kids.
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Mudchute Park and Farm
One of Europe's largest urban farms, set across 32 acres and home to over 100 animals including cows, pigs, llamas and ducks, with the Canary Wharf skyscrapers rising behind them.
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Chelsea Physic Garden
Chelsea Physic Garden is a hidden-in-plain-sight pocket of calm beside the Thames, packed with unusual plants, glasshouses and small discoveries for children to spot. It feels more manageable than a huge park and makes a change from the usual museum circuit. It's London's oldest botanic garden, filled with 5,000+ species of medicinal, edible, and useful plants. It's enclosed so you don't need to stress about runaways, and often runs family activity trails, pond dipping, and drop-in craft events during holidays. Don't miss the really EXCELLENT cafe for lunch!
See detailsGo Ape Battersea Park
Tucked into the lush tree canopy of historic Battersea Park, this high-ropes site delivers serious thrills right in central London. It features higher platforms and longer crossings than most other Go Ape locations, giving you incredible views of the Thames and surrounding skyline. Adventurers can navigate double-freefall tarzan swings, high-wire crossings, and zip lines. You can easily turn your visit into a full day out by pairing it with a walk through Battersea Park, a visit to the nearby children's zoo, or food at Battersea Power Station - see separate listing.
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Deen City Farm & Riding School
This 5-acre urban farm is nestled next to Morden Hall Park; it's sweet and free - though a donation to the charity running it is appreciated. Animals include alpacas, pigs, donkeys, ducks, geese, and owls alongside rare British farm breeds, and there's a riding school too. You can buy small bags of feed pellets to give to the friendly goats, sheep, and cows.
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Finnegan's World
Set inside a converted former bank on West Ealing Broadway, this lovely, independent soft play café is designed for babies, toddlers, and young children. The venue focuses on imaginative play with miniature shop setups, soft climbing ramps, and sensory toys - it’s far more than the usual blocks and slides. Parents can sit back with decent coffee and a slice of cake while keeping a direct line of sight on their kids.
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Hounslow Urban Farm
One of London's largest community farms, with pigs, sheep, owls, alpacas and indoor cuddle sessions with reptiles and rabbits.
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Hampstead Heath & Parliament Hill Playground
Wild, sprawling countryside right in North London, with swimming ponds for adults and older teens, kite-flying hills and a vast playground with a paddling pool.
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Southwark Park & Boating Lake
A classic Victorian park with a duck pond, a summer splash pad, a decent adventure playground and wide paths for scooters and bikes.
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Elephant Springs
Children can splash around cascading water features, control hand-operated pumps and dam babbling streams. Our kids reckon this is London's best splash park - the surrounding natural play space also includes sand pits perfect for shaping with buckets and spades. On warm days particularly it gets SUPER busy, so get there early if possible for a more relaxed visit. Kit tip: pack a [puddle suit](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=kids+puddle+suit) and a [wet bag](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=wet+bag+for+swimming) — both earn their place on a splashy day out. More ideas in our [family kit list](https://kidsfun.london/guides/what-to-pack-family-day-out-london).
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Morden Hall Park (National Trust)
A tranquil National Trust estate with boardwalks over the River Wandle, natural play areas, wooden footbridges and historic watermills.
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Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Tumbling Bay Playground)
Excellent play zone with rock pools, sand pits, treehouses, wobbling bridges and water pumps for building dams.
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The Sherriff Centre (Hullabaloo Soft Play)
Soft play inside the nave of a stunning 19th-century church - Hullabaloo at The Sherriff Centre is one of London's most unusual places for children to burn off energy. The former church at St James' has been reinvented as a bustling community hub, with a dedicated toddler area for under-2s and a multi-level junior play frame for children up to ten, all set beneath soaring ceilings. There's a newly introduced outdoor nature trail too, so you can mix indoor climbing with a breath of fresh air. It runs daily, and once a month the church stays open late on Friday nights for the popular Soft Play Lates - a chance for kids to play after dark while parents kick back with drinks and snacks from the on-site bar and café. It is a lovely way to make an ordinary evening feel like an occasion, and a brilliant rainy-day option that doesn't feel like a compromise.
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Brockwell Park Miniature Railway
Is this London's best-value train ride? I think so! Families can ride this unique 7¼ inch gauge miniature railway through Brockwell Park, travelling between Herne Hill Gates and the Brockwell Lido... and it's only £1 each. Our kids loved this journey, and the small shop packed with souvenirs! All rides are £1 return for adults and children. Under twos travel free with a fare paying adult (+16).
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Little Wonder Street
Little Wonder Street is a vibrant mini role-play village and soft-play haven tucked inside Romford's Liberty Shopping Centre, built to spark early childhood imagination. Little explorers can try out real-world jobs across themed stations - tending to animals at the horse stables, racing to the rescue at the fire station, running the medical centre or serving up scoops at the ice cream parlour. Beyond the role-play village, kids can tackle the soft play frame to climb and slide, or unwind in the calming dedicated sensory room when it all gets a bit much. Sessions run for two hours, so there is time to settle in and play properly, with comfortable seating for grown-ups and an on-site café serving hot drinks and family snacks. It is a stress-free spot for babies, toddlers and young children, and a good one for wet days when you need everything under one roof.
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National Army Museum (Play Base)
A high-quality indoor soft-play centre with an army assault course, mess-hall kitchen and command vehicle, plus lots of role play. The rest of the museum is free and has plenty for older kids.
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Hobbledown Epsom
The original Hobbledown location set in the Surrey countryside features character towers, high ropes, giant pillows, and an extensive farm park. Kids can meet camels, meerkats, llamas, and birds of prey before running wild through the outdoor adventure play villages. Rain isn’t a major problem thanks to the indoor play barn and the Imaginarium, an interactive space combining crawling tunnels with reptiles and bugs - although try to book for a day with some clear weather as the outside playgrounds are the most-exciting part. Hobbledown feels like a rural escape, making it ideal for a full day out with toddlers and primary-aged children.
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Victoria Park & Splash Pool
Vicky Park to locals: two massive adventure playgrounds, a skate park, a boating lake and a brilliant summer water splash park, with fairs and entertainment on regularly. Kit tip: pack a [puddle suit](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=kids+puddle+suit) and a [wet bag](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=wet+bag+for+swimming) — both earn their place on a splashy day out. More ideas in our [family kit list](https://kidsfun.london/guides/what-to-pack-family-day-out-london).
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Hobbledown Heath
No child can fail to fall in love Hobbledown - one of the biggest indoor and outdoor adventure parks in London, it's built around a whimsical world of mystical creatures and outdoor play villages. Outside, kids can climb high wooden towers, balance across sky bridges, jump on inflatable pillows, participate in massive marble runs, dig in sand pits, and visit capybaras, goats, and meerkats in the animal enclosures. Inside, the huge Great Barn features multi-level soft play, climbing structures, and indoor dining. There are animal and bird shows and talks, but you'll have to haul the kids away from the playgrounds first. It is a big, open site with plenty of walking - we like bringing a buggy to schlep the lunch / snacks/ waters around.
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Vauxhall City Farm
This charming, free community farm tucked in the shadow of London skyscrapers, home to alpacas, pigs, horses, and small pets. Gives kids a chance to get up close to farm animals in central London, meet famous alpacas, and hold guinea pigs.
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Battersea Park Children's Zoo
A small, cute zoo tucked inside Battersea Park, built just for younger children. Meet meerkats, otters, squirrel monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs, farm animals and more, with plenty of feeding talks and keeper chats through the day. It is compact enough to see properly in a morning, has a play area and café, and pairs perfectly with the park's big adventure playground or a pedal boat on the lake.
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Bushy Park & Deer Park
The second-largest Royal Park, famous for roaming deer herds, waterways and the grand Woodland Gardens.
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Archbishops Park playground
Local parents say this playground is much better than the one next to the Imperial War Museum, so it's worth the short walk if you're in this part of London. One of Lambeth's better playgrounds, it has a zip wire, climbing structure, sandy play and younger kids' equipment, plus it adjoins an area with astro sports pitches, cricket nets and tennis courts, although these are bookable and paid-for.
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Trent Country Park
Stretching across 413 acres of ancient woodland, lakes, and open meadows, Trent Country Park is a massive green oasis sitting right at the end of the Piccadilly Line. Beyond the newly opened mansion museum, it’s one of North London’s absolute best spots for an active, budget-friendly family day out—featuring a volunteer-run animal centre, robust adventure playgrounds, high-ropes courses, and vast open space for kids to run free. There's... The Wildlife Rescue & Animal Centre - Tucked near the old visitors' centre, this sanctuary (run by the Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service) is home to rescued farm animals, domestic pets, wildfowl, goats, sheep, and ponies. Little ones can visit the animals, play in the small adjacent play area, and grab a treat at the delightful tea room. Entry is just £4.50 for adults and £3.50 for kids (ages 3–14), with proceeds directly funding wildlife rescue! Woodland Adventure Playgrounds: Scattered near the main paths you'll find a robust wooden adventure playground set amongst the trees—featuring climbing frames, swings, slides, and natural log trails that let kids scramble and play outdoors. Go Ape High Ropes: For bigger kids and brave pre-teens, the on-site Go Ape offers treetop canopy crossings, rope bridges, and thrilling zip wires high up in the forest canopy. Café & Picnic Spots: Stop by the main park café for ice creams, warm paninis, and coffee, or set up a picnic by the newly restored wildlife pond on Limes Avenue to feed the ducks (bird seed only!).
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Clissold Park & Animal Enclosures
A lovely community park with deer enclosures, goats, aviaries, a splash pad, a wheels park for scooters and a skate park.
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Crystal Palace Park Maze and Dinosaur Playground
One of the largest hedge mazes in the UK, dating back to the 1870s and right beside the famous Victorian dinosaur statues. The revamped playground has bone-shaped climbing structures, a footprint-shaped sandpit, slides, swings and balancing beams, built to be inclusive with accessible equipment and seating.
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Willows Activity Farm
Breathe the country air and release the energetic toddlers and kids - this huge farm park is themed around Peter Rabbit and his friends. It's a pricey entrance fee but then everything's included - from bounce on giant inflatable pillows to the chance to drive miniature tractors, hop on the Tristan the Runaway Tractor ride, meet real farm animals in the undercover barn - plus the real winner on rainy days: the huge indoor soft play area, complete with slides and obstacle courses. Pre-booking online is a good idea as peak dates regularly sell out. Breathe the country air and release the energetic toddlers and kids - this huge farm park is themed around Peter Rabbit and his friends. It's a pricey entrance fee but then everything's included - from bounce on giant inflatable pillows to the chance to drive miniature tractors, hop on the Tristan the Runaway Tractor ride, meet real farm animals in the undercover barn - plus the real winner on rainy days: the huge indoor soft play area, complete with slides and obstacle courses. Pre-booking online is a good idea as peak dates regularly sell out.
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London Wetland Centre (WWT Barnes)
105 acres of urban nature reserve filled with otters, rare birds, adventure play areas and wetland zip-lines.
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Fulham Palace
The historic former home of the Bishops of London, featuring a house museum, walled botanic gardens, and a café. Kids can enjoy free hands-on museum rooms, giant ancient trees to climb, and mud-kitchen fun in the 13 acre garden, plus there's a and new play area near the main lawn! Free staff-run events for kids (like crafts, music and story-time) take place throughout the year and special workshops run during school holidays. The botanic garden is the ideal spot for picnics.
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Dulwich Park
A classic, leafy 29-hectare Victorian park offering loads to do for families - there's recumbent bike and family banana bikes hires (great for zipping along the flat paths), a boating lake, and a top-notch playground.
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Hainault Forest
This massive ancient woodland and country park spans over 300 acres with a free zoo/farm, boating lake, and cafe. Kids can explore Foxburrows Farm for free, feed ducks on the lake, and run through endless woodland paths. There's a huge new outdoor adventure playground - part of the final phase of the £7m Hainault Forest restoration project. We like to walk through the Woodhenge behind the lake, which features wood sculptures by local artists and follow the sculpture trail.
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Kew Gardens
World-famous botanical gardens that make a lovely outdoors day, with a huge dedicated Children's Garden packed with giant wooden trampolines, water play and canopy walkways.
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Battersea Park Playground, Park and Power Station
Massive green park featuring adventure playgrounds, a boating lake, a pagoda, and lots of wide-open space for kids to scoot, play football or burn off energy. Do the park first, then head to the power station for lunch at the Arcade marketplace or a kid-friendly restaurant like Where the Pancakes Are, then browse the Lego store, Peppa Pig shop and Bounce. The children's zoo tucked inside the park is the ultimate anti-London-Zoo for younger kids: small scale, with meerkats, lemurs, otters and monkeys, plus a play area packed with vintage fire engines, tractors, life-sized wooden boats and sandpits.
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London Zoo
The world's oldest scientific zoo is in the heart of London, hugging Regents’ Park and featuring Land of the Lions, Penguin Beach, and an immersive Rainforest Life walk-through. It’s pricey but a thorough day out and your money all goes towards animal conservation. Don’t buy tickets at the gate - book online at least 48 hours ahead for the best rate. Save little legs by skipping the walk from Camden Town and catching the 274 bus straight to the main gate, or walk in scenic style along the Regent's Canal towpath from Camden Market. Under 7s will love a visit to the new(ish) ZooTown - an vast, immersive make-believe play area which is particularly brilliant if it rains!
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Hangloose Adventure: England's Longest Zipline
Just outside London at Kent's Bluewater Shopping Centre sits the Skywire: England's longest and fastest zipline spanning over 725 meters. Adventurous kids (over 8) and parents launch off a 70-meter cliff face in a Superman-style flying position, soaring over the chalk cliffs and lakes at speeds of up to 60mph! There's also a giant swing and inflatable water park on site to make a really epic day of it.
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The Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace
Perhaps London's most theatrical adventure playground, with a massive fire-breathing dragon to climb, battlements, secret grottoes, turf mounds to slide down and sandpit siege towers.
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Jubilee Gardens
Families can explore a busy landscaped park right on London's South Bank featuring over 90 mature trees and open lawns. Children up to 11 years old can play in the enclosed adventure playground... It's always pretty busy, but still lots of space to run around and you can then explore the South Bank, with its stalls, performers and eating/drinking spots.
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Bells Garden playground, Peckham
Recently revamped, this playground lays claim to hosting the second-longest slide in London... It's bright, colourful, reminiscent of Battersea Power Station's playground, and well worth a visit if you're nearby.
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Serpentine Lido Playground & Hyde Park Boating
A gated wooden playground right beside the Serpentine with climbing frames, swings and ducks to feed. Take a ride on the boats too: there is a small pond with child-only boats, a larger one for family boating, and solar-powered Solarshuttle pedalos crossing the lake. Kit tip: pack a [puddle suit](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=kids+puddle+suit) and a [wet bag](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=wet+bag+for+swimming) — both earn their place on a splashy day out. More ideas in our [family kit list](https://kidsfun.london/guides/what-to-pack-family-day-out-london).
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Ruskin Park Paddling Pool and Playground
Families can splash and play in this much-loved outdoor paddling pool located within Ruskin Park. It's gorgeous on a sunny day (albeit gets busy!) and gated, as is the next-door playground, which is good for all ages with tall slides and loads of climbing. The indy park cafe is lovely too. Kit tip: pack a [puddle suit](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=kids+puddle+suit) and a [wet bag](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=wet+bag+for+swimming) — both earn their place on a splashy day out. More ideas in our [family kit list](https://kidsfun.london/guides/what-to-pack-family-day-out-london).
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London Fields Lido
A heated 50m outdoor pool in the middle of a Hackney park, open all year round — steam rising off the water in winter is half the fun. Family sessions, a paddling-friendly shallow end and the park and playground right outside. Kit tip: pack a [puddle suit](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=kids+puddle+suit) and a [wet bag](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=wet+bag+for+swimming) — both earn their place on a splashy day out. More ideas in our [family kit list](https://kidsfun.london/guides/what-to-pack-family-day-out-london).
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Barbican Conservatory
Visit the (free) garden, check out the library and its amazing kids' section, stroll the Barbican's architecture
See details★ 4.5
Coram's Fields Playground
This 7-acre urban oasis features adventure playgrounds, a city farm with small animals, sandpits, and adults are only allowed in if they're with kids. Its annual free play day includes even more activities, from crafts to bouncy castles and snacks.
See details★ 4.7Olympic Park Stratford
Visit Tumbling Bay playground, enjoy the vast network of family-friendly cycling routes, and splash in the water fountains
See details★ 4.5London Aquatic Centre - inflatables
Challenge yourself on this epic inflatable course, set on the Olympic 50m pool. With thrilling obstacles, slides, and climbing walls, it’s perfect for adventurous swimmers aged 8 and up. Check dates on the website. Adult – £12.60, Junior – £9.45
See details★ 4Paddington Rec Adventure Playground
One of our favourite playgrounds in London - hidden slides, pastel townhouses, separate spaces for different ages. Large green to run around on too, and a decent cafe.
See details★ 4.6Holland Park
Two fantastic playgrounds - including a huge adventure one with sand and water - a Japanese garden, peacocks, cafes - a great day out. Can combine with Design Museum.
See details★ 4.7
Babylon Park
Indoor theme park and arcade centre in Camden - including a mini rollercoaster, bumper cars and simulation rides
See details★ 4.4
Camley Street Nature Reserve
Former coal drop for Kings Cross railway has been transformed into this urban garden, a rich habitat for birds, butterflies, amphibians and plant life, with children's trails, weekend activity drop-ins and a small but lovely cafe.
See details★ 4.6
Kings Cross day out
This redeveloped area is mostly traffic-free, so great for scooting and wandering around the wide areas, fountains, small parks and shops. Pop-up (paid for) events include petanque and curling, our kids always enjoy gaming at the Samsung store in Coal Drops Yard, there are food markets, the Everyman cinema, you can stroll to Camley Street Nature Park, walk along the canal and get snapped with the Harry Potter sign at Kings Cross station. Visit the floating bookshop on the canal, cool off at the Cubbitt Sq fountains and check out the small Handyside playground and birdcafe swing outside KX station for a quick energy release.
See details★ 4.6Parkland Walk
The longest linear nature reserve in London - which follows the former railway line connecting Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace that opened in 1873 -is a fab flat 5km adventure for kids. Bring the bikes for a cycle/walk combo - it's no good for scooters though as too bumpy. Let the kids hunt for the hidden sculptures (like the famous Spriggan figure near the Highgate tunnels), spot wildlife, and jump on the old, overgrown platforms.
See details★ 4.6Walthamstow wetlands
You won't feel like you're on the doorstep of central London in the fresh air and beautiful scenery of Walthamstow wetlands. Take a leisurely stroll, or follow the designated cycling route; there's a bevy of wildlife to spot... and a great cafe to bribe unwilling kids with cakes and ice creams. Mini beast hunts, forest school sessions and storytelling run frequently too - some charges apply.
See details★ 4.6Diana Memorial Playground
huge, gated adventure play space in Kensington Gardens featuring a massive wooden pirate ship, teepees, and sensory trails. There's sand, water and a musical trail. Ice cream cafe and it's based in the huge Kensington Gardens with lots of areas to explore - could combine with Holland Park for a full on playground day. The Diana Memorial Playground reopened in Summer 2026 after a revamp. Aim to arrive when it opens at 10 AM, as capacity is capped and queues form quickly on sunny afternoons.
See details★ 4.7Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park
Stroll through these iconic central London parks - featuring Serpentine lake views, expansive grounds, and historic statues - while joining the crowds at Buckingham Palace to show the kids the guards and splendour. Head to St James's Park near Duck Island around 2:30pm to catch the daily pelican feeding time, and visit its playground and cafes for a break.
See details★ 4.7
Kentish Town City Farm
On the edge of trainlines is this lovely local gem - a free-entry city farm with horses, pigs, chickens and other animals and frequent low-cost activities, including horse-riding, a chance for young people to learn about the vegetables and fruit grown on the farm, and animal encounters.
See details★ 4.3
Hackney City Farm
A community farm offering kids a chance to meet pigs, sheep, goats, and ducks in the middle of East London. Visit the on-site Italian cafe for great fresh bread and coffee, and bring small change if you want to buy feed for the animals.
See details★ 4.5Sky Garden
A large, indoor landscaped garden high above the city offering incredible panoramic views and plenty of open space to walk around. It is completely free - but you must book your time slot well in advance.
See details★ 4.6
Broomfield Park
There's a large adventure playground here alongside a conservatory, a model boating pond, and a lake. It makes for a nice afternoon out - especially if you stop by the nearby Baskervilles Tea Shop for delicious babyccinos and cakes.
See details★ 4.2
Gobions Wood
This 36-acre ancient woodland nature reserve is the perfect walk and picnic spot - it has carpetings of bluebells in spring, and 500 species of fungi to spot in autumn - but for kids, the best part are the logs to balance on, large lake with ducks and tadpoles, a playground area near the car park, and a large field perfect for picnicking and games. The trails are flat, and buggy-accessible. Park at the North Mymms Parish Council car park (off Jonas Way) for direct access to both the children’s play area and the woodland trail entrance.
See details★ 4.6
Berkhampstead (castle, canal, playground)
Historic market town Berko is a rural day-trip close to northwest London - it has an idyllic canal, castle ruins dating back to 1066, and plenty of family-friendly playgrounds. For history-loving kids, toddlers who enjoy spotting trains and boats, and parents wanting great independent eateries, this is a great day out. Baby parents: leave the buggy behind if you plan to explore the castle ruins, as the path isn't very buggy-friendly, and use a sling instead. Lots of eateries around Lower King's Street if you don't fancy a picnic.
See details★ 4
Woodberry Wetlands
This regenerated urban nature reserve offers smooth, buggy- and scooter-friendly boardwalks surrounded by wildlife, reedbeds, and play areas. It’s ideal for families with young children, birdwatchers, and anyone looking for a fresh, scenic walk. Park near Bethune Road or Lordship Road, bring scooters for the kids to zip along the paths, and don't forget to visit the historic Coal House Café for great coffee and sourdough lunches.
See details★ 4.6
Capel Manor Gardens
This is a university for horticulture - which is brilliantly open for families to explore with loads of activities too. It features over 30 themed gardens - including a children's garden, maze, fairy garden, and Japanese garden - along with a small farm and reptile collection (the snake always surprises me), kitchen garden, and acres and acres to explore. It’s a wonderful, good value outdoorsy day out - pack a picnic to enjoy on the grounds, or expect simple school lunch-style fare in the canteen. Check out their calendar for seasonal children's events like Easter egg hunts, and summer festivals, there's always a good kids' treasure hunt trail too.
See details★ 4.6
Finchley Nurseries
More than just a standard plant nursery, this friendly local garden centre has an aquarium section with fish, a small outdoor play area for children, and a lovely on-site cafe with homemade cakes and toasties. During the summer months, there's a pick-your-own flowers field to cut a bouquet to bring home. Free parking.
See details★ 4.7Golders Hill Park & Hill Garden Pergola
Adjoining Hampstead Heath, Golders Hill boasts a free animal zoo area including deer, birds, and a butterfly house; there's a duck pond, ornamental gardens, a large playground, bandstand and a huge amount of space to run around. Take a sharp left upon entering from North End Road to discover the grand, secluded Hill Garden and Pergola, a stunning ruined terrace popular for photos. The cafe is decent with excellent gelato.
See details★ 4.7
Highgate Wood & Queen's Wood
These twin ancient woodlands offer dens, stick-building spots, and miles of shaded walking trails alongside Highgate Wood's superb playground with dedicated toddler sections, swings, zipline and dual sandpits. Highgate Wood's Pavilion Café has delicious café food and coffee, while the smaller (and quieter) Queen's Wood has a small cafe too.
See details★ 4.7
SEA Life London Aquarium
Sharks, rays, penguins and turtles right beside the Thames at County Hall. A walk-through tunnel and plenty of tanks at child height make it an easy win when the weather turns - and it's right next to the London Eye so a huge amount to do within walking distance. Always book online for a discount!
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